Policy 710 - Public Relations
Adopted on May 9, 2019
Effective May 9, 2019
The Board of Education believes that all reasonable means should be employed to keep the public informed on matters of importance regarding County Board policies, finances, programs, personnel, and operations. It is the purpose of this policy to provide the ways and means to accomplish this purpose.
The Superintendent shall direct an information program designed to acquaint the citizens of the community and general public with the achievements and the needs of the schools.
Toward this end, the Board shall provide parents or guardians and other County residents opportunities for orientation and information regarding State regulations and local school procedures, and will utilize, insofar as practical, all appropriate means and media to achieve this end.
Partnerships with Business
The Board of Education is well aware of the role that education will play in increasing the nation's productivity and future well-being. To ensure success requires the combining of talent and resources within the region between business and education. It also recognizes that schools of the County need to operate as an integral part of the economic community if students are to receive the type of education and training they will need to function effectively in the twenty-first century.
The Board will seek to establish not only partnerships between the County and individual companies but also, if possible, consortia involving several companies and/or school districts. The purpose will be to seek opportunities for students and staff to share in new strategies and technologies being created in the business world and offer, in exchange, the knowledge and skill of County personnel in creating more effective continuing education for employees and members of the community. Properly planned and implemented, such partnerships or consortia could have significant impact on the nature and content of the curriculum as well as on the manner in which students are taught to learn.
The Superintendent is authorized to actively seek such partnerships.
Citizen Advisory Committees
The Board of Education may, from time to time, establish citizen advisory committees. All appointment of citizens to advisory committees shall be approved by the Board. All appointments of staff members to citizen advisory committees shall be made by the Superintendent. Staff members shall never constitute more than a minority of any such committee. Every effort shall be made to ensure that the makeup of an advisory committee is as truly representative of the community as possible. The chairperson of an advisory committee shall be chosen from among the lay members. Board members may be ex-officio members of an advisory committee.
Specific topics for study or well-defined areas of activities shall be assigned in writing to each committee immediately following its appointment. Upon completing its assignment, a committee either shall be given a new topic for study or shall be dissolved promptly. Each committee shall be instructed as to the length of time each member is asked to serve, the resources, if any, the Board intends to provide, the approximate dates on which the Board wishes it to submit reports, and the approximate date on which the Board wishes it to complete its study.
Furthermore, the committee shall be instructed as to the relationship is has to the Board, to individual Board members, to the Superintendent, and to school employees. A staff resource person will be identified for each advisory committee, and such person will serve as a liaison between the committee and Roane County Schools relative to equipment, meeting location, personnel or funding needs. Expenditure of Roane County Schools' funds by an advisory committee shall be made only in limited circumstances and upon the prior approval of the Superintendent.
The structure and organization of an advisory committee shall be determined by the Board as appropriate to the assignment. Advisory committees shall be encouraged to draw upon a wide variety of resources both inside and outside Roane County Schools.
Correspondence between the Board and its committees shall ordinarily be conducted by the Superintendent. The Superintendent shall transmit the contents of any communication from a committee to the Board timely, generally at the next meeting of the Board. When a committee is ready to submit a report on its assigned topic, the Superintendent shall arrange a meeting for the purpose of receiving the report.
The Board shall have the sole power to dissolve any of its advisory committees and shall reserve the right to exercise this power at any time during the life of any committee.
Relations with Educational Institutions and Organizations
It is the policy of the Board of Education that strong lines of communication be maintained by the Roane County Schools with other districts and with institutions and organizations which provide County students with programs, training, or services not available in the County.
The Superintendent may enter into such cooperative ventures with institutions or organizations for the purpose of providing programs which correlate to the Roane County Schools' curriculum and help students better accomplish the educational goals and objectives established by the Board.
Before entering into any agreements, the Superintendent shall keep the Board advised of any arrangements that would require the use of Roane County Schools' resources or require any additional resources of Roane County Schools.
In order to maintain cordial and constructive relationships with private and parochial schools, the Superintendent shall maintain liaison with the administration of all such schools that enroll significant numbers of students resident in this County in order to be aware of any program changes that may be planned that could affect Roane County Schools. Further, the Superintendent shall cooperate in the implementation of State and Federal programs administered by Roane County Schools that benefit, in whole or in part, eligible students attending private or parochial schools.
Parent Organizations
The Board of Education supports organizations of parents whose objectives are to promote the educational experiences of County students. However, in using the name of the County or its schools and in organizing a group whose identity derives from a school(s) of this County, the parent organization thereby shares responsibility with this Board for the welfare of participating students.
Any parent organization desiring to use the name or good offices of the County, or any of its public schools, must obtain the approval of the Superintendent.
Representatives and members of approved parent organizations shall be treated by County employees as interested friends of the schools and as supporters of public education in Roane County.
Staff members are encouraged to join parent organization(s) in their school or in related area(s) of specialization or interest.
The Board relies upon approved organizations to operate in a manner consistent with applicable laws and with public expectations for the schools and reserves the right to review programs and initiatives of parent organizations and, further, to withdraw approval of any such organization which violates applicable laws and/or the bounds of community taste.
School-Support Organizations
It is recognized that parent-teacher associations, booster groups and many other school support organizations provide an essential function in the support and funding of various curricular and extra-curricular programs offered by the public schools. Countless hours are devoted by teachers, parents, and other school supporters in fund raising activities to provide the funds and donate the uniforms, equipment and other supplies necessary for such programs. Without this support, many schools would not have the financial resources to provide many of the programs that are being provided to students.
The Board of Education appreciates the efforts of all organization whose objectives are to enhance the educational experiences of County students, to help meet educational needs of students and/or to provide extra educational benefits not provided for, at the time, by the Board. These needs may be educational to parents and/or students.
Each volunteer organization shall work within the appropriate school setting and in cooperation with the principal and other staff members and shall abide by the policies of the Board.
Each group shall establish bylaws and be governed by an elected board of directors consisting of at least a president, a vice president, a secretary and a Treasurer. The bylaws shall be submitted to the Superintendent for review and approval.
By the end of June of each year, each group shall submit its tentative goals and objectives along with its fund-raising plans for the next school year to the principal for review and approval. A list of all groups that will be collecting funds in the name of the school shall be approved by the Board in advance of the event. Should the goals and objectives or fund-raising plans change during the school year, the principal is to be advised before any final revisions are made.
The Superintendent shall implement administrative guidelines which ensure that each group's fund-raising activities are in compliance with West Virginia Board of Education 1224.1 and Board policies and that the funds are used for school-related projects that have the approval of the Superintendent and the principal.
The Board requires that annual financial statements be provided by any group that collects money in the name of the school.
Relations with Outside Groups
Any requests from civic institutions, charitable organizations, special interest groups or others which involve such activities as patriotic functions, contests, exhibits, sales of products to and by students, promotional or informational materials for students, graduation prizes, fund-raising, and free teaching materials must be carefully reviewed by the Superintendent or his/her designee.
It is the policy of the Board of Education that students, staff members, and County facilities shall not be used for commercial advertising or for promoting the interests of any nonschool agency or organization, public or private.
- Commercial Interests - Outside speakers representing commercial organizations will be permitted only with the approval of the building administrator and when the commercial aspect is limited to naming the organization represented and the subject matter advances the educational goals of the Roane County Schools.
- Political Materials - No political advertisements or other partisan materials shall be permitted for use in curricular or co-curricular programs; however, professional personnel may use political materials if the use is not for partisan purposes, the use relates to approved curriculum and the use has been approved, in advance, by the building administrator.
- Contests/Exhibits - The Board recognizes that contests, exhibits, and the like may benefit individual students or the County as a whole, but participation in such special activities may not:
- have the primary effect of advancing a special product, group, or company;
- make unreasonable demands upon the time and energies of staff or students or upon the resources of Roane County Schools;
- cause the participants to leave the County unless:
- the Board's Policy for Field and Other District sponsored Trips has been complied with in all aspects;
- the Board has approved the trip; and
- the parents of any minor students have granted their permission.
- Distribution/Posting of Literature - No outside organization or staff member or student representing an outside organization may distribute or post literature on that organization's behalf on Roane County Schools property either during or after school hours except at the times and in the locations established for any such activity at each school or other county school facility and, further, without the permission and prior review of the Superintendent. The Superintendent shall establish administrative guidelines which ensure compliance with the Equal Access Act and related State policies. The school mail system is not used by students or staff for distribution of nonschool-related materials. No materials from any profit-making organization are distributed for students to take home to their parents, unless authorized by the Superintendent. The time, place, and manner of distribution of all nonschool-related materials is clearly established and communicated. Any literature distributed or posted pursuant to this policy shall contain the following disclaimer: "Neither the Roane County Board of Education nor any of its agents or employees sponsor or endorse this club/group/organization. The views expressed may or may not reflect those of the county or school administration are neither approved nor disapproved by them."
- Solicitation of Funds - The Board of Education shall not permit any organization not related to the Roane County Schools to solicit funds on Roane County Schools property. Permission to solicit funds will be granted only to those organizations or individuals who meet the permission criteria established in the County's administrative guidelines. Solicitation must take place at such times and places and in such a manner as specified in the administrative guidelines. The Board disclaims all responsibility for the protection of, or accounting for, such funds. Crowdfunding activities aimed at raising funds for a specific classroom or school activity, including extra-curricular activity, or to obtain supplemental resources (e.g., supplies or equipment) that are not required to provide a free appropriate public education to any students in the classroom may be permitted, but only with the specific approval of the Superintendent.
- Prizes/Scholarship - The Board is appreciative of the generosity of organizations which offer scholarships or prizes to deserving students in this County. But, in accepting the offer of such scholarships or prizes, the Board directs that these guidelines be observed:
- No information, either academic or personal shall be released from the student's record for the purpose of selecting a scholarship or prize winner without the permission of the student who is eighteen (18) years of age, or the parents of a student who has not reached the age of majority in accordance with the Board's policy on student records.
- The type of scholarship or prize, the criteria for selection of the winner, and any restrictions upon it shall be approved by the principal.
- The principal, together with a committee of staff members designated by the principal, may be involved in the selection of the recipient and, if agreeable to the sponsoring organization, the selection shall be left entirely to the principal and staff committee.
- Sale of School Supplies - In determining the appropriateness of the sale of school supplies by organizations other than Roane County Schools, the Board requires that:
- the organization has a purpose which will benefit the County and its students;
- the organization's planned activities are clearly in the best interest of the County and its students; All funds generated by the sale of such school supplies shall be kept separate from other activity funds or other transactions of the Board.
- Surveys and Questionnaires - Neither County-related nor noncounty-related organizations shall be allowed to administer a survey or questionnaire to students or staff unless the instrument and the proposed plan is submitted, in advance, to the Superintendent. If approved, a copy of the results and the proposed manner of their communication are to be provided to him/her for review and approval before they are released.
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